Improvement in mowing and reaping machines



j. BUTTER.

Mower.v

No. 27,034. APaten'fed Feb. 7, 1860.

N. PETERS. Pmxu-Liehagnpmr. wnhinpm D4 C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JOHN BUTLER, OF BUFFALO, NEWT YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN MOWING AND REAPING MACHINES.

Specitication forming part of Letters Patent No. 27,034, (late dgllcbrnarv 7 To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN BUTLER, ot' the city ot' Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mowers and Reapers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ot' the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and the letters of reference marked thereon, in which- Figure I is a side elevation of my improvement; Fig. II, a plan ofthe same. Fig. III is a section on line as y. Fig. IV is a-section on line c b. Fig. V is an elevation ot' the adjustingplate and lever. Fig. VI is a cross section of finger-bar.

A is the driving-wheel.

B is the outside supporting-wheel.

O is the main frame ot' the machine. The driving and supporting wheels turn on separate axles bolted to the main frame on a line with each other. Y

D is an adjusting and supporting plate lying parallel to the plane ofthe drivin g-wheel. The bolt c, passing through the axle E of the drivingwheel, supports the plate and forms the axle upon which it turns to adjust the cutters.

F is the gear-frame, in which is placed the gearing which transmits motion from the driving-wheel to the cutters.. It consists of a tubular arm, F', passing through the plate D, at right angles thereto, and through which the shaft g ot' the pinio'n H and bevel-wheel l passes, having journal-bearings therein, (see Fig. III.) anda tubular arm, F2, lying parallel to the plate D, and connected to the tubular arm Fl by the hollow cylindrical part F3, which incloses the bevel-Wheel l and pinion J. (See Fig. lll.) The crank and bevel-pinion shaft J passes through the tubular arm F2, having journal-bearings therein. (See Fig. III.)

K is a bent lever, the shorter arm of which is connected to the plate D by the bolt 7c, forming the fuicrum upon which it operates. A slot is made in the plate D, enlarged at the end nearest the center of the plate to the size of the tubular arm F. The collar formed at the angle of the two arms of thelever, when the lever is thrown forward to the position shown in Fig. V, will be concentric and coincide with the enlarged part of the slot in the H will be in gear with the teeth ot' the drivingwheel. A pin, l, projecting from the lever and catching into a hole in the plate, will hold the` lever firmly in this position and prevent the gear-frame from moving laterally, and keep the pinion in gear with the driving-wheel; but by uncatching the lever and throwing it forward a short distance the pinion will be thrown out ot' gear with the driving-wheel, and be held in that position as long as desired by the pin catching into another' hole in the plate and holding the lever. forward into the position shown in Fig. V the gear-frame may be disconnected for shipment.

M is the inside shoe or frame to which the nger-bar is attached. It is connected to the gearframe by the tubular arm F2, passing through the sleeves N, raised up from the shoe in front of the finger-bar.

O is a collar'or sleeve placed around the tubular arm, which arm has a groove formed around it to receive said collar and filling the space between the sleeves N, and thereby holding the said sleeves N in their proper place on the tubular arm.

P is a linger-bar bolted to the shoe M. 'It is made in the form shown in Fig. VI. It consists of two flat parallel parts connected by a part at right angles, or nearly so, to them. The lower part rims upon the ground, the guard being connected to the upper part by the screw or rivet p.

Q is the connecting rod connecting the crank to the cutters. R are the cutters; S, drivers seat, placed on the rear of the main frame C, so that the weight ot' the driver will balance the weight of the pole T.

The connection of the Ashoe to the tubular arm Fz allows the outer end of the linger-bar to rise and fall in passing over uneven ground, independent of the position of the driving and supporting wheels, and as it turns upon the center line of the crank-shaft the throw of the cutters through the guards will always be the By throwing the lever y same, whatever may be the positionof the nger-bar.` The finger-bar may also be thrown over against the plate when the machine is to be moved from eld to field, or detached, as

before described, and laid on the main frame C, between the Wheels. The connection ot' the gear-frame to the plate D by the tubular arm passing through the plate, as before described, will allow the whole finger-bar to rise and fall in passing over uneven ground or through dead-furrows.

When the machine is to be converted into a reaper the linger-bar is raised to the desired height, turning on the arm F, and is held there by a bolt, u, passing through the upward projection u' from the collar O, and through one ot the series ot holes, w, made iu the plate. When raised in this way the points of the cut ters will pitch downward; but by turning the -pla-te on its axle-bolt e by means of the lever K they may be brought on a level, and by passing a bolt through the plate and bracket X, secured to the front cross-piece of the frame U, the plate will be held in the required position. When moving, the points of the cutters may be elevated to pass over obstructions by' the driver, by means ot' the lever K, turning the plateon its axle, as described, for leveling the cutters.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The adjust-ing and supporting plate Din combination with-the tubular arm F and lever K, in the manner and for the purpose substantially as described.

2. The gearframe F, which consists mainly of the tubular arms F and F2, the hollow cylindrical part F3, collar O, and upward pro- 'ection u', constructed arran 'ed and o erating in the manner and for the purposes substantially as herein set forth.

3. The combination of the shoe M, gear-Y frame F, and plate D, connected together in the manner and for the purpose substantially as herein described.

JOHN BUTLER.

Witnesses:

A. M. WHEELER, W. H. FoREUsH. 

